Illusion
by Chele
Summary: Hoshi faces a mystery. [S, M&S, Tu&S] COMPLETE
1. Chapter One

*****   
Title: Illusion   
Author: Chele   
Rating: PG-13   
Category: Mystery, Alternate Universe, CiaC--Hades, Throaty, Communicator   
Code: S, M/S, Tu/S, P, T, R, A   
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.   
Acknowledgments: A big "THANK YOU!" to my wonderful betas--Ozchick, Taryn Eve, Mara, Deb, Schee, Mareel, and Smurf.   
Summary: Hoshi faces a deep mystery. And no, just because there are two pairings does not mean this is another love triangle fic. This is more Hoshi-centered than it is shippy.   
Author's Notes: I wasn't planning on writing any more fic but this plot idea popped into my head and I wanted to get it down. Basically, this fic is set on an alternate universe, so the characters won't act the way they normally do on the show. This fic was also inspired by the [i]Twilight Zone[/i]. 

----- 

Chapter One 

She faced a dark and empty corridor, one she had never seen before. A chill passed through her and she shivered slightly, bringing her arms around herself in a means of warmth and comfort. She paused, sensing something odd, as she stroked the material clinging to her arms. Looking down at herself, she stared in shock. _This isn't my uniform._

Spreading her arms, she took in the sight and then started to pat and explore the newfound clothing, which was very different from the uniform she normally wore. Her uniform, a gray-colored and form-fitting jumpsuit, was now replaced with a bluish-purple colored and loose-fitting jumpsuit. 

Touching her neck, where her v-neck scoop should have been, instead, she found a turtleneck underneath the uniform, covering her thoroughly. Then slowly, she brushed her fingertips over the unique stripes that decorated the uniform on the shoulder. _How odd._

Although her entire uniform had completely changed, one thing remained that was similar to the one she usually wore--the stripes. On both uniforms, the stripes were the same color--blue. Despite finding herself wearing a strange uniform, somehow, she felt fond of it, as if it were a connection to something. _Something..._

She was so engulfed in her musings that she was taken aback when she heard them--whispers calling to her. "Who's there?" she asked, scanning the corridor. 

"Hoshi." The voice was barely a sound. 

"Who are you?" She spun around, thinking the voice was behind her. 

"Hoshi." The voice rose higher. 

"I asked: Who are you?!" She was becoming agitated and spun around again, but soon realized that with every turn she made, she still faced the same corridor. Whoever was calling wasn't going to scare her. 

"Hoshi." 

She froze. The voice was directly behind her, according to her sensitive ears. Slowly, she turned and as she faced her caller, she gasped, but still held her ground. The being that stood in front of her was covered in a hooded dark-blue cloak. 

"Hoshi," it repeated. 

Hoshi found her voice. "Yes. That's my name. You've been calling to me. Who ARE you?" 

The figure turned to leave and Hoshi called out. "Oh, no you don't! You're what keeps me restless at night. You're what keeps calling to me. And YOU are what will give me answers." 

Turning to face her, the being merely said, "Hoshi." 

Hoshi was becoming frustrated. "Stop it! You've already established knowing my name." Then softly, she asked, "Do you know me?" 

The figure stood silent. Hoshi closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 

The figure spoke. "Follow me." 

Instantly, Hoshi opened her eyes in time to see the figure dash through the corridor. 

"Wait!" Hoshi raced after it. 

She ran and ran, turning through corners, trying hard to keep up with the other. She lost her breath as she continued in a seemingly never-ending chase. _This is just like..._ Her thought, as well as her body, halted, as she spotted the figure, waiting for her, in front of a hatch. 

Breathlessly, she asked, "What are we doing here?" 

"Open it," was the only curt reply. 

Hesitantly, Hoshi walked up to the hatch. She raised her finger to key in the access code, which she was sure of knowing. How the numbers had popped into her mind, she had no idea. But before keying in the numbers, she turned to the figure next to her, seeking assurance this wasn't a trick. 

When she did, all feelings of uneasiness were replaced with shock. Hoshi found herself staring up into a pair of light-blue eyes. "I know you," she whispered, mesmerized. 

"Hoshi, sweetheart. Wake up." 

Hoshi felt a light shake and she woke with a start. Over her shoulder, she saw the concerned expression of her husband. "Oh," she groaned and put the palm of her hand to her forehead. She was no longer in her dream, but in her bed, with her husband hovering over her. 

"Is everything all right?" 

Not wanting to turn around to face him, Hoshi said softly, "Yeah." She then clutched her pillow to ease her tension. 

"Why did you wake me up?" she asked coldly. 

"You were having a nightmare and you started talking in your sleep." A slight pause. "I was worried about you." 

"I wasn't having a nightmare. I was dreaming." 

"Are you mad at me, Hoshi?" 

Hoshi could hear the feeling of hurt in that question. Sighing, she answered, "No, Travis. I'm not mad at you." 

"Okay. Well, I have to go to the bridge now." Travis' dark hand gently stroked the side of Hoshi's arm and he planted a soft kiss on her cheek. "Don't forget about that appointment with Phlox at 1000." 

"Of course," Hoshi mumbled and she heard the hatch doors open and close with a hiss. 

Hoshi stared at the wall as she lay on her side. "I know you," she whispered to herself, "and I'm going to find out how." 

***** 


	2. Chapter Two

*****   
Chapter Two 

The sickbay doors opened briskly and the first thing Hoshi heard was an ear-piercing scream. She immediately placed her hands over her ears and waited. When the screams had died down, Hoshi dropped her hands. Nonchalantly, she walked over to a biobed and jumped up to sit on it, twiddling her thumbs and swinging her feet to and fro. 

"Ah, Commander." A Denobulan head peered out from the back room. 

"Good morning, Doctor Phlox," Hoshi replied. 

Phlox stepped out of the back room clothed in a long white robe and latex gloves, which were soaked in green fluid. Walking past Hoshi, he removed his robe and gloves, and threw them into the waste disposal located next to the sink. He turned the faucet on and began to lather his hands in soap. 

Waiting for Phlox on the biobed, Hoshi asked, "Giving Fior his trimmings today?" 

After patting his hands dry on a towel and straightening his black pyjama-like uniform free of wrinkles, Phlox looked at Hoshi. "Good heavens, no. That bat has learned by now not to squeal every time I give him nail trimmings." 

His face grew wide, exposing a sickly long grin. "I've discovered a new species--Vulcans. They are quite remarkable, indeed." 

He headed towards his cabinet and pulled out a small rectangular metal box, placing it on the counter. "I have one in the back room right now." 

"A Vulcan?" asked Hoshi. 

"Yes." Opening the box, Phlox pulled out a hypospray. Turning around, he faced Hoshi, who had readily pulled down her uniform so it was around her naked waist. He walked towards her and injected the contents of the hypospray into the right side of her stomach. 

After the injection was complete, Phlox removed the empty vial and discarded it. 

"Have you been experiencing any further nausea?" he asked. 

"No." Hoshi shook her head. "Although, I've been feeling weird gurglings in my stomach. What do you suppose that could be?" 

"Hmm," Phlox replied cheerily. "I suppose it could be just a side-effect. Nothing more." 

"So what were you experimenting on?" Hoshi asked curiously as she pulled her uniform back up. 

"The joys of the female Vulcan reproductive system." Phlox grinned and, extending his hand, helped Hoshi off the biobed. "Now run along, Commander. I'm sure Captain Mayweather is eagerly waiting for you on the bridge." 

Hoshi walked to the sickbay doors and pressed the button to open them. 

"Oh, and Commander?" 

She turned around. "Yes, Doctor?" 

"You still have two more sessions of injections before the end of your second trimester." 

"Of course, Doctor." 

----- 

Hoshi stood silent and alone as she rode in the lift. When the doors swished open, she stepped outside, stopping when she realized it wasn't the bridge. 

An uneasy feeling stirred in her gut as she looked straight down the corridor. _Something's wrong..._ The corridors aboard her ship were normally tan, but this one was gray. Then realization hit her. 

Her first instinct was to turn around and enter the lift, to leave this place. 

Yet, she couldn't...no...she wouldn't. _This is the corridor...from my dream._

Cautiously, she started to walk through the corridor. _I'll find my answer._

"Is anyone here?" Hoshi called out loudly, taking a few steps forward. "The man in the cloak. Where are you?" She took more steps. 

Reaching the middle of the corridor, Hoshi thought she felt a tap on her shoulder, but ignored it, believing it to be her skin crawling. _You're not worried, Hoshi._ Then, in a quick moment, she was wrenched around. The shock hit her like a phase canon. 

"Commander?" 

Hoshi blinked and found herself staring at a man. 

"Ensign Archer," the man said, smiling, as he introduced himself. 

She could tell that he was older than her, from the rough planes on his face. _What's he doing on board this starship?_ Officers who came of age--over 40 years, that is--were sent back to Earth. 

Hoshi pushed that thought away as her eyes roamed down his body, from his brown hair to his green eyes to his chin, and to his... Her voice caught in her throat--he wore the uniform. _The uniform from my dream._ Except, his stripes were gold. She slowly brought her hands up and began to gently stroke his stripes with her fingertips. 

"Are you all right?" the man asked, concern on his face. 

Hoshi was brought out of her daze, and she shook her head, looking to her side. The corridor from her dream was gone, replaced by the usual tan wide walls. 

"Where am I?" she asked, her voice throaty. 

"You're in the armory," Archer answered. "How did you get down here?" he asked. 

"I...I don't know. I was riding in the lift, thinking I'd ended up on the bridge, but instead, I found myself here." Hoshi looked at the man, and seeing the bewilderment on his face, asked, "What's the matter?" 

"Uh, nothing. It's just...the armory has been shut down for many years, and the main lift shouldn't be able to bring anybody down here." 

That's when Hoshi really took a look at the corridor she stood in. It was dark and cobwebs covered nearly every corner. 

"If the main lift isn't designed to bring anybody down here, then how did _you_ get here?" 

"A secret lift," Archer answered, winking. Then offering her his hand, he said, "Come on. I'll escort you to the bridge." 

Hoshi took his hand as he lead her around a corner, to a lift she had never seen before. As they entered the lift, she stole a glance at his profile. 

Sensing that she was staring, Archer turned to face her. 

Hoshi was caught off guard, but the tension quickly vanished when he gave her a warm smile, and for some odd reason, Hoshi felt like smiling, too. 

***** 


	3. Chapter Three

*****   
Chapter Three 

Hoshi sat in front of her console, staring intently at the jumbled symbols entrusted to her care. _Maybe if I adjust the translation matrix…_ She ran the alien language through the Universal Translator and the translation was complete. _Perfect._ She smiled at her success, but her face quickly distorted into confusion. 

_Something's wrong._ The symbols that she had managed to translate suddenly moved up and down sporadically. She tapped at her console, then pressed a few buttons. 

"Is something wrong, Commander?" 

Hoshi snapped her head up, turning to the owner of the voice--Travis. "No. It's probably only a temporary glitch." 

She could feel beads of sweat gathering on her forehead. For some reason she started to feel hot. 

Clearing her throat, she said, "Captain, may I see you in your ready room?" 

"Of course," Travis answered. 

----- 

"Are you okay?" Travis asked as he watched Hoshi ease into the chair in front of his desk. Her hand rubbed the small mound of her belly. 

Hoshi took a deep breath and gently wiped her forehead with her hand. 

"I'm fine," she answered. 

"Well." He eyed her warily. "What's so important?" 

"This morning…I was coming to the bridge and when I got off the lift, I ended up in a part of the ship I'd never seen before." 

Travis' expression was neutral. 

Hoshi continued. "I met a man named Ensign Archer. He told me I was in the armory and that I wasn't suppose to be there, since it's been closed down for years." She stared at him, transfixed by his calm nature. "How is it that we have an armory?" 

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Hoshi," Travis finally said. "You know we don't have an armory." 

"But that's just it. I saw it with my own eyes." 

"Maybe you should take a break. You're obviously stressed out." 

"You think I'm some kind of nut?!" Hoshi started to become angry. 

"What am I to think? You're starting to see things that aren't even real!" Travis turned his back to her. "You're dismissed, Commander," he said dead-toned. 

She was infuriated. _How dare he not believe me!_ But instead of turning this meeting into a yelling match, she took a deep breath and pushed herself out of the chair. 

Reaching the door, she suddenly felt light-headed and the last thing she saw, were boots. 

----- 

Voices. She heard them and yet didn't hear them. They were around her and she didn't know why. _Open your eyes._

Why was she so hot? _Open them._

Why couldn't she hear them? _Open!_

Hoshi's eyes snapped open and closed immediately at the blinding lights. 

She groaned softly and felt a hand lightly squeezing hers. 

"Ah, Commander, you are awake." Phlox's voice was impassive. 

She opened her eyes slowly this time. "What…what happened?" she croaked through her dry lips. 

"Your husband brought you to sickbay when you collapsed in his ready room." 

Hoshi sat up and instinctively placed her hands on her stomach. 

"Oh, yes, you lost the baby." 

The words sliced through Hoshi's heart like knives. 

***** 


	4. Chapter Four

*****   
Chapter Four 

She faced a dark and empty corridor, one she had seen before. A chill passed through her and she shivered slightly, but this time, she knew what to do. 

She ran and ran, rounding corners, not knowing if she'd find it, but knowing she had to try. 

Hoshi halted when she saw it. _The hatch!_

This time, without hesitation, she walked up to the hatch. She raised her hand to key in the access code, which she somehow knew. How the numbers popped into her mind, she had no idea, but she was determined to find out. 

The hatch made a hissing sound, startling her as it slowly opened. 

Immediately she stepped inside and gasped as a bright light engulfed her. 

She was standing in her room, or so she thought. There was a plush pink bunny rabbit on the cabinet and a "See Spot Run" book on the floor. _Whose room is this?_

The sound of a child singing caught her attention and she turned her head, catching sight of a little girl on the bed, swinging her legs as she combed out her doll's hair. 

_Rock-a-bye baby, in the treetop When the wind blows, the cradle will rock When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall And down will come baby, cradle and all_

The little girl paused and glanced at Hoshi. 

"Mommy!" 

She jumped off the bed, ran towards Hoshi, and hugged her knees. 

Looking down at the girl, Hoshi asked, "What are you doing?" 

The girl looked up at Hoshi and giggled. "What's wrong, Mommy? Aren't you gonna give me a hug?" 

Speechless and not knowing what else to do, Hoshi crouched down and hugged the girl, feeling small arms around her as well. 

When the embrace was over, Hoshi pulled back. "I…I'm your mother?" 

The girl giggled again. "Yes! Momma, why are ya bein' so silly?" 

Hoshi smiled, confused but still feeling that somehow this was right. 

She examined the girl and noticed that she had the same wide almond-shaped eyes as herself. Except the girl's eyes were light brown, as was her hair. 

Gently stroking the girl's hair, Hoshi asked herself, "If I'm your mother, who's your father?" 

Hoshi's eyes snapped open and closed immediately at the blinding lights. 

Groggily, she sat up and realized she was still in sickbay. She blinked a few times for good measure, before her vision cleared. 

"Doctor?" she called out. 

Nothing. 

"Doctor Phlox?" 

Then she heard it—whimpering. It was coming from the back room. 

Hopping off the bed, she made her way to the room. She felt a little apprehensive since she doubted the doctor would appreciate her invasion of his privacy. _Well, it's not like he ever prohibited me before._

"Doctor Phlox?" 

She froze. 

"Oh my god." 

***** 


	5. Chapter Five

*****   
Chapter Five 

There were rows and rows. Giant glass containers, all filled with..._Babies_. 

Different species, all labeled--Vulcan, Suliban, Vissian, Risan. A collection of baby fetuses that went on and on, filling up most of the room. 

One glass container, it's reddish color, caught her attention and she walked closer to it. The label read: "Hades." 

She crinkled her nose. _Hades?_ It was the same word she'd encountered on the bridge when translating the alien language. 

Voices echoed in her head. 

_"Captain! The attacking ship is hailing us." _

"Put them through, Hoshi! 

"This is Captain Archer of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Why are--" 

The sound of a blast brought her back to reality and she stumbled back, grabbing hold of a metal table, causing it to tip over with a loud clatter. 

Hoshi picked up the fallen incision instruments, but held on to one of the small knives. 

She decided to make a closer inspection of the glass container and to her amazement the label changed. The word she now read: "Human." 

It hit her when she peered at the fetus, its round eyes seemingly watching her, as if pleading with her. A picture perfection of a watery grave. 

_A baby girl...my baby girl._

A sickened feeling passed through her. Hearing a footstep, she turned around and saw Doctor Phlox with his arm raised. Before he could hit her, she kicked him between the legs. He gasped and sank to his knees, clutching his groin. 

"Bastard!" she screamed, and lunged for him. 

She grabbed him by the head and, using the knife still in her hand, sliced his throat and watched as he fell to the ground. 

Hoshi backed away and dropped her weapon, the clatter of the metal loud and clear. 

_What have I done?_

Turning to leave, she came face to face with the shocked expression of a man, not much taller than herself, with dark hair and blue eyes. Without another word, she pushed her way past him and ran out of sickbay. 

----- 

Things weren't making sense and as she walked hurriedly through the corridors, she started to feel horrified by what she'd done. 

She needed a place to think, somewhere that offered her solitude. But as she roamed the ship, the place she was searching for was nowhere to be found. 

Something was wrong, no, _everything_ was wrong. 

Questions and mixed emotions ran through her mind. 

But one thing was certain. 

She knew they would be looking for her and she would be waiting. 

*** 

A/N: The place Hoshi was supposedly looking for is the special place in merlin's sister's fic, "The Birthday Present", which can be found in the Linguistics Database (www.lingdata.net). 

***** 


	6. Chapter Six

*****   
Chapter Six 

The second she heard the swishing door, she swiveled in her chair, locking her eyes on him as he entered his ready room. 

Before he could say anything, she began. "I'm sure you've heard by now, Captain." 

He was passive. "Word travels fast." 

A drifting silence passed between them. 

"Why did you do it, Hoshi?" 

She shifted in her seat, and spoke gravely. "He deserved it." 

Travis gave her a questioning look. "Why?" 

Hoshi stared at him, appalled by his question. "_Why?!_ Because he took my..._our_ baby. He killed her and stuffed her in some jar as if she was a mere science project!" Her voice rose in anger. She was disgusted by his lack of outrage. 

"It's not like you can't have any more children, Hoshi. Humans are capable of reproducing multiple times." 

A light bulb clicked in her head and Hoshi was now more sure that what she'd concluded was right. 

"I don't belong here." 

"What are you talking about? Of course you do. You're my commander and linguistics officer." 

She shook her head. "This ship...it's the _Hades_ isn't?" 

He spoke carefully. "Yes. But you already knew that." 

"No, I didn't. In fact, I just found out on my own." She tilted her head at him. "Why didn't I already know that?" 

He shrugged. "Maybe it's just stress. You seem to be forgetting a lot of things lately." 

"Travis, how did we meet? Where did we date? **When** did you propose to me?" She waited for his answer. "Why did we fall in love?" 

"Why is this so important to you?" He placed his hands behind his back. 

"Because I want to know why I don't even know these things!" She was exasperated. "One day I wake up and find myself just knowing that I'm married to you. Just knowing and feeling are two separate things." She sighed. "I don't even know how I became Commander and you, Captain." 

"Look, you're just having a relapse. Everything will be alright." 

"Yes, it will. Once I take charge of my life." She produced a phase pistol and pointed it at him. "Put your hands in front of you and drop your weapon." 

"Hoshi, just relax." He inched his way towards her. 

"Stay back!" she shouted, now placing her other hand on the pistol, trying to calm her nerves as her hands trembled. 

He continued to walk towards her. "You wouldn't shoot me." 

"Yes I would, and I can, if I have to." 

"You can't." He had a glint in his eye. "Not if you want to go back to where you belong." 

She knew he was right and dejectedly put down the pistol. 

He stood in front of her, towering over her. "You have a good life here and you just want to throw it all away?" 

"I don't belong here." 

"Of all the thinking you did, did you ever stop to wonder why you're even here?" 

She shook her head. 

"Would you like me to tell you why?" 

She nodded. 

He bent forward, coming face to face with her, his eyes level with hers. Slowly and softly, he said, "You are the communicator." 

She crinkled her eyebrows, not understanding his statement. 

"You were the only one who could translate the symbols of our Ancient Way." 

"The symbols I was translating on the bridge. They weren't an alien language, they were traditions, _your_ tradition," she whispered. 

He smiled, a crooked smile. "And now that you've completed your task, you are no longer needed." 

She yelped when she felt the intense pain. 

The last thing she saw was the phase pistol. 

***** 


	7. Epilogue

*****   
Epilogue 

Voices. She heard them and yet didn't hear them. They were around her and she didn't know why. _Open your eyes._

Why was she so cold? _Open them._

Why couldn't she hear them? _Open!_

Hoshi's eyes snapped open and she bolted upright, gasping for air. 

_Where am I?_

Scanning her surroundings, she realized she was in some kind of laboratory, sitting on a table wearing only a long white shirt on. Looking at her body she found wires connected to her face, arms, legs. 

She pulled them off one at a time and with each disconnection, bit her lower lip, suppressing a scream at the pain. 

"Hoshi!" 

She whipped her head up. _Travis_, she thought, narrowing her eyes on him. 

He had a concerned expression on his face which turned into surprise when she suddenly wrapped one of the wires around his neck. 

"Hos--" he tried to say, pulling at the wire only to have it tighten as she pulled at the ends. 

_He's going to pay_, she thought as her eyes bored through his. Feel every second of her pain, hurt just like-- 

"No!" someone shouted. She felt strong hands snatch the wire from her grasp, leaving Travis choking and sputtering on the ground. 

Another man had entered the room, helping Travis stand. "Tell Malcolm we've found her, and get Doctor Phlox." 

Travis coughed and lightly pounded his chest with his fist before answering, "Yes, sir." He scurried away. 

The man turned around and her heart skipped a beat. 

It was him, the nameless face from her first dream. Slowly, he moved towards her, holding up his hand to show that he meant her no harm. Finally standing in front of her, he gently ran his fingers through her hair and she closed her eyes, relishing the touch. 

"Hoshi," he whispered, "look at me." 

She didn't want to because she believed that if she did, she would wake up and this would be another dream, another illusion. 

He stopped stroking her hair and she felt her chin being lifted. 

Opening her eyes, she blinked. They were eye-to-eye. Dark brown against light blue. 

He was still here. _He's real!_

She made an anguished groan before giving way to tears. He held her and she leaned against him, her body shaking as she cherished his warmth. 

"It's okay, darlin'," he said, stroking her back. 

Her doubts and fears dissipated and she knew in her heart, mind, and soul that where she was now was as real as things could get. 

_This is reality._

----- 

The End. 

***** 


End file.
